Former Forest Green target Matt Tubbs joins AFC Wimbledon

FORMER Forest Green target Matt Tubbs has joined AFC Wimbledon after turning down the chance to sign for Crawley for a third spell.

Crawley had agreed a deal with Bournemouth to sign Tubbs on loan a month ago but the 29-year-old has decided to join League Two outfit AFC Wimbledon instead.

Tubbs, was a target of former Forest Green boss David Hockaday and played alongside Academy boss Scott Bartlett at Salisbury.

Boss John Gregory, who was interviewed for the job at Forest Green last year, had been keen to bring Tubbs back to the Checkatrade.com Stadium after he scored eight goals in 18 matches on loan at the end of last season.

Chief executive Michael Dunford had been in constant contact with the Cherries over the deal since the end of the season and admitted he was “surprised” Tubbs had snubbed Reds to link up with former Crawley team-mate Dannie Bulman in a lower division.

Gregory said: “We tried very hard to get Matt back so it is very disappointing he has chosen to go to Wimbledon instead.

“We pushed the boat out financially and waited quite a long time for him to make a decision but in the end it is up to him where he goes.

“It is a shame because I love Matt as a player and a person. He is a legend at Crawley and it would have been great to bring him back but it wasn’t to be."